Just a Dream
by raincaster
Summary: Post Homecoming. Rose has a nighmare involving glowing skulls and dying. But those eyes! There is something about those eyes...  Too bad they're just a dream. A second one shot up; happens during HKL, between Rose meeting Jake and the final fight.
1. Just a Dream

_She was dying. Glowing skulls encircled her. A strong, callused hand holding on to her own small, slender hand…_

_ She didn't want to go. The New York lights blocked out the stars' light. Sorrowful, protective, and caring dark eyes stared into her light blue, questioning…_

_ It'll be okay, she had told him. She had lied. She was scared. But he couldn't know that. He had to let go; it was the only way…_

"Rose wake up!"

The young woman's eyes flashed opened to reveal her own blue eyes staring back at her. Blinking a few time, she felt a trail of liquid falling from her eyes. As it fell on her mouth, she idly ran her tongue over her lips to taste the salt of tears.

This had been the fifth time Rose had been awaken from her same nightmare, crying. Looking back at her concerned twin sister, she managed a weak smile.

"I'm fine, just a stupid dream."

"Yes," Marie Newman said, resisting back an eye roll as she offered her a tissue. "It was just a stupid dream that had you moaning and crying in your sleep. This by the way has happened four times before this past week. Was it the same one?"

Somehow this broke into Rose's defense, her face falling and tears threatened to fall once more.

"I – I was s – surrounded by skulls… glowing! And someone was holding on to me…" Rose closed her eyes, trying to see the eyes that had held her gaze in the dream. But the more she tried to remember, the more the details slide out of her memory. Marie frowned, recognizing both the details and emotions that her sister had described and displayed the past nights now.

"So the same dream," she murmured, crawling into her sister's bed and bringing her into a firm embrace. "Rose, it's a dream. You're here safe…"

"I was going to die," Rose interrupted eyes wide. "I – I don't know why but I was. A – And someone was trying to hand on… I don't remember-!"

"It. Was. A. Dream." Her twin said firmly, feeling a sense of déjà vu now. How long was this going to last? She didn't know what these dreams meant, but a part of her was starting to think that perhaps Rose needed some professional help. People just didn't have the same dreams like this for nights and nights in a row, did they? Marie unconsciously rubbed the sleep still in her droopy eyes. The alarm clock between their beds glowed 3:42 AM. She could hear their father's deep snores down the hall. She wanted to go back to sleep… but she wanted Rose to be comforted and reassured even more. No more glowing skulls or dying or some stranger clinging on to her…

"Do you want to work on your drawing? I don't mind sleeping with the light on," Marie offered, suddenly thinking of the solution. When the first nightmare had come, she had woken up a crying Rose, moaning about someone by the name of Jake. But when she had asked who Jake was, her sister had only given her a blank stare, clearly having no idea who she was talking about. Without really another word, Rose had gotten up, went over to their desk, and pulled out her sketchbook. When she had lain back down under the covers, she began to draw. A routine similar to this had repeated the second night and then the third and then the fourth. So Marie figured she could just let Rose stay in bed while she got her things. After all she was already out of bed. Heck, she even knew which picture her sister was working on.

So she got up, took the sketchbook, flipped it the right page, and studied her sister's progress for a moment. A magnificent dragon in midair flight stared back at her; deep eyes seemed to speak of a brave and caring soul. Rose had started to color in its scales an intense red, with bright neon green spikes running along its back with a messy black mane.

"This is amazing sis," Marie grinned as she handed Rose the book and colored pencils. Her grin spread even wider as she added, "I think you should name him Jake."

Carefully picking out her pencils and adjusting her position, Rose started to work. "For the last time Marie, I don't know someone named Jake… though, he does look like a Jake."

"How on earth does a _dragon _look like a Jake?" Marie asked as she slid off Rose's bed and rolled onto her own.

Rose shrugged, pushing her golden hair behind her ear. "He just does." Marie watched as Rose put the end of the pencil near the corner of her mouth, her eyes studying the art in front of her. She was obviously playing around with an idea for the piece.

"What?" Marie asked, curious.

"He needs hair gel." Rose said, not really looking at her, but instead placing the red pencil down and taking out neon green and black.

Her twin raised her eyebrows, not entirely sure if she was serious. "Hair gel? Since when do dragons wear _hair gel_?"

Ignoring her, Rose made a thin line of neon green in the mane, lightly mixing in the black, trying to make it look natural. She wasn't quite sure if she succeeded, but the concept felt right. "Yeah, a dragon named Jake with hair gel."

"Next thing you're going to tell me is that he's an American skateboarder," chuckled Marie. And she watched as Rose smiled at her words.

"Yeah, that sounds like him. Brave and cocky in battle…"

Marie cocked her head, pushing herself up on her forearms and peering across to her sister's bed to study the picture. "Since he's a dragon, wouldn't he be Chinese?"

"Marie, dragons aren't only a Chinese creature…"

Shrugging, Marie studied the picture. "About both then? Chinese American?"

Rose stared at the picture and the weirdest thing about. Her eyes widened as if a memory suddenly became clear. "Yeah, that sounds right… Chinese American." Chuckling, Rose finished off the mane and started back on the scales. "A Chinese American skateboarder dragon named Jake…"

"… With hair gel," finished her twin. "And devilishly handsome, if I do say so myself..."

"Oh my gosh those eyes!" Rose exclaimed, startling Marie.

"Ummm you colored his eyes the first day you started drawing him remember?" she asked. "This really shouldn't be surprising…"

"They're the same ones from my dream though!" Rose exclaimed in an excited whisper. She suddenly felt certain of this, the one detail of the dream now coming back in full view. She heard Marie sigh and felt as her bed creaked and shifted as the other girl returned to her side, studying the picture again at a closer angle.

Deep dark eyes peered at her once more, protective and caring. "Well maybe you're dream isn't as scary as I thought it was," Marie attempted to smile. "I mean, I would kill to have anybody look at me like that… "

"That's part of the nightmare though; I'm leaving him and neither of us want that." Rose closed her eyes this time fighting back the sudden flood of emotions from the dream that were coming back. "And besides I think the hand that was holding on to me was human."

Without thinking, Marie took her sister's hand. "Rose, it was a dream. Nothing more. You're not going to leave me or Mom or Dad. We wouldn't let you. And even in the dream it sounds like Jake, or whoever it was, didn't want to let you go either… did he let you go?"

Looking a little surprised at the question, Rose shook her head. "I don't know, you woke me up before it ended… but I think his decision would have been whatever would be the best for me."

Marie nodded, "Yeah, with eyes like that I agree with you…"

Rose closed her sketchbook and closed up her colored pencils. Placing them beside her bed on the floor, she gave Marie and light shove to tell her to get off. Taking the hint, Marie did and once again crawled into her own bed.

"Rose?" Marie spoke once more. "You didn't leave anybody okay? Remember, it's just a dream."

"Just a dream." Rose repeated. "Got that."

"And if you dream of him again, if his name is Jake or Bob or if he's human or dragon… dream of you two hanging out in Paris or on the beach or something fun like that."

"Right, I'm in an air balloon ride with a dragon named Jake who likes to skateboard…wait, if he's a dragon then why are we in an air balloon? I wouldn't mind riding dragonback!"

"Good night, Rose." Marie laughed softly. "And have good dreams… even if they're just dreams."

Smiling, Rose reached for the lamp and turned off the light. She buried herself under her covers and closed her eyes, imaging those protective, caring, dark eyes. As her breathing calmed with her heart and her mind wondered deeper and deeper into sleep, she swore she could have heard a young male's voice exclaiming, "Dragon up!" Laughter and worry; fear and excitement all weaved into her dreams as the young, magnificent dragon soared in her unconscious world.

She wasn't conscious of the tears streaming down her face or of the smile that had yet to leave her face from her waking moments. After all, it was all just a dream.


	2. Call It A Twin Thing

**AN: This took forever! This is a fill in the blank for Hong Kong Long for after Jake was taken by the police to the time Rose remembers everything and goes out to help Jake fight the Dark Dragon. Her twin's point of view. Of course ties in to the first one shot, Just a Dream. I really don't know how I feel about this... does it feel kinda rushed? Am I telling more than showing?**

Marie Newman really couldn't believe how ridiculous guys could be. The one that had just scared her sister was certainly certifiable for a mental constitution. Thank goodness for Rose's quick thinking and the Hong Kong police department.

Their parents were talking in hushed voices on the couch, probably discussing about what to do with Rose's "dramatic experience." The young teen rolled her eyes; the boy had only freaked her sister out. Anyone who claimed he had known her as a dragon slayer in an alternate timeline and oh- by- the- way I am a dragon, would have certainly freaked her out of her mind. But it wasn't like he attacked Rose or anything; in fact Marie had thought that if he hadn't acted so crazy then he would've been the type of guy would have caught both the twins' eyes. Meanwhile Rose was still staring at the closed door where the young man had been dragged out, her blue eyes glazed over in thought.

"Rose?" Marie finally spoke. "He's gone; you can stop staring now."

Blinking a few times, her twin turned to face her, her eyes still uncertain. "H- His name was Jake."

"And it's not an uncommon American name sis. Honestly chill, he's not your issue any more."

The two girls instinctively spoke in low voices, clearly on a topic that was only between the two sisters. No one else knew about Rose's dreams of dragons and magic. No one else knew about her sketchbook, filled with fantastical depictions of majestic dragons, various other mythical creatures, and people with concealing masks and glowing spears. No one else knew about Jake, the Chinese American skateboarding Dragon who styled his hair with gel. Because it was all part of Rose's imagination (encouraged and prompted along by Marie). There were just some things that sisters held secret between themselves, laughing and dreaming about together. But that was exactly the point; it was only a dream Rose had shared.

"He left his jacket," Marie heard Rose whisper in a strained voice. She could hear the tears being held back; her sister hated to be confused and she hated to cry. Rose walked right past her to gather up the stranger's belongings he had left behind. "Oh…!"

It was Marie's turn to swirl around, her eyes wide. "What now? He has some secret picture of you in his coat pocket or something?" Her voice, though she really didn't know why, was still on a whisper.

"Or something," Rose whispered back, staring at a – was that a _photograph_! Reaching out to take the paper in Rose's hand Marie gave a low, frustrated growl as Rose yanked it out of her reach, her mouth trembling and eyes threatening to spill over. "It just can't be…"

"What can't be?" she yelled after her as she watched Rose run upstairs to their bedroom. Mr. and Mrs. Newman jerked up from their discussion, their expressions alert and full of concern.

"Rose sweetie…" Grace Newman started her way up to her youngest daughter, her husband right behind her.

Marie acted quickly. Rose wouldn't speak about any of this to their parents; it was only between them. And Marie wanted answers and she was the only one who _could_ get them out of Rose. She blocked their way up the stairs.

"Mom, Dad, hold on. Let me talk to her okay? She'll open up more to me anyway."

Both adults looked up at the stairs and then down at their other daughter blocking them. Grace sighed and gently pulled Mr. Newman away with her. "Come on dear; let's have Marie work it out. And Marie you will let us know if it's something serious right?"

"Of course," Marie crossed her fingers behind her back, smiling innocently at her parents. If Rose didn't want them to know, they wouldn't know. This whole dream, this whole Jake the dragon/ stranger was Rose's business and Marie wasn't going to betray that trust. Jogging up the stairs, the girl knocked and opened their bedroom door. Looked back behind her to see if their parents had followed (they hadn't) and then closed the door for privacy.

Rose was sitting right in between their two beds, surrounded by her sketches and drawings from her sketchbook. The paper that she had found with the red jacket was in her tight grip, shaking along with her trembling arm. Her legs were folded against her chest, a curtain of curly blonde hair blocking her face as she kept staring at the object that she was holding.

"No – no… Jake I'm _so_ sorry," Rose muttered; Marie could barely hear the words come from her mouth. Still oblivious to her sister's presence, Rose got up and headed straight for her side of their dresser. "I'm on my way; I just got to find something I can fight in…"

"Rose, what on earth are you talking about?"

Startled, her twin jumped, still clinging to the skinny purple pants she had just picked out. "Marie! Oh I just – um, I was…" Marie frowned at the nervous way Rose was stumbling over her words, the streaks of tear trails still ran down her face and that her eyes were still watery. She could almost see the wild thoughts and ideas forming in her head, clearly trying to come up with some feasible story that her sister would understand. And Marie did not like it at all. Twin sisters did not keep secrets from each other.

"Alright, I'm going to look past the fact that you're holding my favorite pair of pants," she started slowly, calming her hurt and betrayal at Rose's secrecy. "But that thing you found with the boy's jacket made you upset. It's a photo isn't it?"

Rose sniffed. Marie took it to mean yes.

"Can I see this really upsetting photograph, Rose?" Marie held out her hand. "Please, I want to help."

"Mom and Dad can't know, promise me you won't tell Mom and Dad."

"Sister promise," Marie replied without even thinking. Took the photograph from Rose's hand and saw something impossible.

It was a picture of Rose. It was a picture of Rose standing next to the same young man that had been taken away by the police that evening. Not only that, the two were standing hand in hand, dressed up as though for a dance. "That's – that's impossible Rose, " Marie found herself stumbling over her words. –"Y-you've never seen the guy until tonight! How…?"

"He's Jake; He's the one from my dreams – he's the dragon from my dreams!"

"Dragons don't exist!"

"Yes, they do Marie! And Jake's in danger; I have to go help him -!"

"That Jake is only in your dreams! You can't possibly think -!"

"Shut up and listen to me," Rose interrupted with a growl.

Marie stopped midsentence, mouth still wide open, shocked. "_Excuse_ me? I need to shut up? I'm not saying that some creepy guy I met this evening is a dragon from my dre-! What? Am I supposed to notice something here?"

Rose had gathered up her scattered drawings and now held out one that she recognized and enjoyed; it was of the red dragon with gelled black hair that Rose had drawn after her nightmares.

"Look at his eyes," Rose ordered. "In both the photograph and drawing. They're the same."

Caring, protective, and brave dark eyes stared back at her. Marie shifted her head from the unlikely photo to Rose's art and back again. The young man's and the dragon's were the same caring, protective, brave dark eyes. All Marie could do was shake her head. "But that's impossible."

"No Marie, it's not. I remember it all now… I remember," Rose placed the drawing of the dragon down and held up another of a masked face, only determined, bright blue eyes could be seen. "That's me; I was Huntsgirl… and Jake was- is- the American Dragon. We were enemies at first but then we found out each other's identities and I started to help Jake against the Huntsclan…

"That's impossible; you have never left this family -!"

"Let me finish Marie. I was helping Jake until the Huntsman found out about our relationship and then revealed that he knew where you, Mom and Dad were. He said that if I betrayed Jake he wouldn't touch you guys…"

Rose had found another drawing; this one of a man with a cracked dragon skull for a mask with his cold, calculating eyes peering through the jaw bones. Marie felt a shiver go down her spine that she couldn't quite make sense of… her sister had feared this man. Perhaps one time even respected him, but that had long been overtaken by fear and hatred. Taking hold of Rose's hand, Marie lightly stroked the inside palm for comfort. Maybe it was a twin thing, but she knew that this was a hard tale for Rose to tell her… as crazy as it was, Rose really thought it had occurred. And as much as Marie wanted to deny it as truth, nothing else could have gotten Rose this upset unless it really _did_ occur…

"The skulls," Rose continued, "the skulls in my dream were the key to enable the Huntsman the ability to destroy the dragons and I gave him the last three…" Tears were streaming down her face once more.

"Rose, I -" Marie started to say, but really what could she say? _Gee sis I want to believe you but this couldn't have happened? I'm sorry that you're getting worked up over for a pure fantasy?_ Because even Rose knew better then that; she knew the difference between reality and fantasy, therefore her emotions wouldn't be this overpowering over something that didn't happen. So that meant…

"…Jake was so betrayed; I couldn't tell him that I had a plan. I overpowered the Huntsman and wished for the destruction of the Huntsclan; it was the only way to keep both you and Jake safe..."

Eyes widened, and Marie now could feel her sister's memory of fear. Fear of dying, just like her dream…

"This is impossible," Marie repeated, but she knew her argument was now useless. Call it a twin thing, but she could feel Rose's sincerity and strong waves of mixed emotions. "You wouldn't even be here if that had happened Rose. You couldn't have lived with both us and the Huntsclan at the same time and you're alive now so you couldn't have wished for the death of this big so called tribe you describe…"

"…Jake grabbed hold of my hand," Rose continued, clearly ignoring Marie, lost in the forgotten memories. "He didn't want me to go… but I told him to let me go." Rose's voice was now strained; the tears were now heard in her voice. "And so he did."

"Rose…" Marie could barely her own voice now. She was trying to hold back stinging tears of her own; the crushing lost bearing down on her through her sister's tale.

"…He's why I'm here Marie," sniffing, Rose managed a genuine smile to light up her face. "With the skulls, he made a wish of his own. He wished I'd never been taken by the Huntsclan. He wished me here, with you and Mom and Dad…"

"Oh…" Marie thought there was something stuck in her throat. She couldn't quite speed up her thoughts and turn them into words and really what could she say? _My gosh he sacrificed his relationship for you to have us? I'm really sorry that you had to go through that?_ She did that only thing she could think of. She pulled her sister into a firm embrace, feeling the damp tears soak her sleeve and allowing her own to fall. All this was impossible… but it was true. She just _knew_ because Rose knew. Call it a twin thing. But this dream was far more than a dream.

She startled when Rose give a sharp tug out of her arms.

"I've got to go help him," Rose said, exchanging her school wear for tight fitting pants and a small tee. "He saved my life so I can save his." Marie watched as she gathered her normally loose hair up into a braid. "There's a dragon to be slain."

"WHAT!" Marie exclaimed, panic causing her voice to go up an extra octave. "Rose you can't be serious." She made her way to grab her twin's wrist. "You're staying here where you belong…!"

"The Dark Dragon has Jake blackmailed with his grandfather and threatens to take over the Dragon Council and take over the magical world! Dragons aren't prepared to fight each other, Marie! They haven't the training…!" Marie couldn't help but flinch slightly as Rose shoved her right arm, palm facing her right centimeters from her face. She couldn't help but admire the dragon birthmark that flew up Rose's arm. She had secretly envied Rose because of it all these years, but now…

"…I'm the only slayer left. I have to do this. Jake needs me. If Mom and Dad wonder what I'm doing, cover for me."

Marie couldn't stop Rose from pulling out her grip. She watched as her sister calmly walked to their window – their tenth story window.

"But… but…" Marie quickly looked around and picked up a drawing she recognized. "You don't have this glowing staff thingy! How -?"

"Jake will have it for me." Rose said confidently, her voice was now tear free and firm. She opened the window, swinging a leg out. "He wouldn't send me into a battle without my weapon."

Marie was shaking. Her sister was half way outside their tenth story window. "But you don't have the training! Jake wished you were with us, so you never got the training needed for this from the Huntsclan!"

Rose was now balancing herself on the window's edge, carefully balancing herself as she stood up, gripping the window frame. When she spoke, Marie barely recognized it as Rose's voice. It was rougher, firm and full of determination.

"Watch me remember."

Marie heard her sharp intake of breath as she watched wide eyed. Rose leapt, with ninja like grace, from their window's edge to the roof of the next building. She continued to watch, dumbfounded, as Rose continued to leap from building to building, roof to roof, until she disappeared from her sister's line of sight.

_Cover for me._

Of course she would; as far as Mr. and Mrs. Newman would know, Rose had simply gone to bed, exhausted from the day's events. Their parents would nod sympathetically and wish Marie a good night as she herself prepared to follow her sister's example. They didn't need to know Rose was chasing a dream that had turned into her reality. It was something that only the sisters shared with themselves and Marie wouldn't betray that trust. Because now the girls now that it was all more than just a dream.


End file.
